We'll Be Young Again
by Tansoku
Summary: Picks up right where the series left off. David has fled to Gath, leaving everything. Queen Rose strives to restore the people's faith in Silas from the shadows. Katrina Ghent is not dead. Jack struggles in his captivity with his bride to be. CH2 up!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone.

So sad that Kings has been canceled, though I suppose that's what fanfiction is for, isn't it? To keep going where TV failed us?

This takes place right after the end of the series, so if you haven't seen it you may want to finish watching it first before you read on.

David Shepherd, on the advice of Reverend Samuels, has fled Gilboa to find sanctuary in Gath. Little does he know, Queen Rose Benjamin has exiled her daughter out of Gilboa under the charge of treason, though the truth stems from Michelle's pregnancy. Meanwhile, Rose also begins damage control across Shiloh, hoping to restore the people's face in King Silas, who has taken refuge in the Royal Palace of Shiloh.

Prince Jack Benjamin has been placed under house arrest ("a living death") with his fiancée, Lucinda Wolfsen, who he finds repulsive. He will find no reprieve until he produces an heir for Silas to place on the throne of Gilboa, though Jack's sexuality and his sheer hatred for Lucinda stands in the way of this approach.

Reviews are welcomed and encouraged. They tell me that you're enjoying my work, therefore making me strive to complete chapters more quickly. Fewer reviews usually mean a longer wait to the next chapter.

I don't own Kings, so that's my disclaimer.

Enjoy.

_________

: **The Republic of Gath** - Outskirts of the Southern Border :

Captain David Shepherd couldn't stop running. Wouldn't stop running. The risk was still too high. He could almost hear the tanks treading across the roads only a couple hundred meters from the woodland. Any failure now would get him shot - or worse - captured. The latter would destroy the delicate peace obtained only hours before when Silas retook Gilboa. He could be considered a spy or a saboteur. Then again, Silas had probably already conjured up false evidence against him. He would be considered a turncoat or a traitor. As ridiculous as it would all seem, he would find no sanctuary there. The only faith he had was in the words of Reverend Samuels – that he would be safe, somehow, in Gath.

He ran as far as he could and then some until his legs could carry him no more, barrelling into a dense thicket of decaying bushes situated around a dense old oak. He tried to control his breathing, but the air in his lungs escaped his mouth in gasps. Reaching into his backpack, he brought a canteen of water to his lips and drank. The cool water was refreshing and helped to slow his rasps.

Civilization was miles away. It would take too much of him to try and get there tonight. He'd have to camp outdoors beneath the stars, alone with his spectrum of emotions. They had come in waves. One moment he was angry, cursing himself for trusting Silas again and how blind he had been. Then came loneliness. Having to say good bye to Michelle in the chapel. Having to say good bye to his home. But he had to stay calm. Panic would get him nowhere. The cool steel of Michelle's ring across his finger gave him hope. Hope to survive this so he see her again.

The dusk was beginning to settle, casting a mist across the bleak forest. This place would be as good as any.

David Shepherd closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.

***

**: Austeria – Unknown :  
**

"Her Excellency Rose Benjamin sends her regards, Lady Ghent."

Those were the words the marines had said to her just before the explosion. She had initially thought that the small platoon of marines along the highway back to Gilboa were a formality. Perhaps they were Gilboans there to welcome her back to the homeland, or maybe they were Austerians ensuring she had paid export taxes on her numerous souvenirs. Regardless, her armoured car stopped for them and she had listened to their words before a marine standing behind one of their vehicles pulled out a rocket launcher and let the explosives fly. She had no time to move, no time to scream, but could still feel the car rolling down the mountainside before plummeting into a tree jutting from the earth.

Katrina Ghent was alive, albeit barely. Austerian civilians had found her unconscious body some time later. Vague memories of being pushed through a hallway on a hospital flowed across her thoughts. She had heard the paramedics say that she had been discovered alone amongst the wreckage. They had not known who she really was. She knew this when they brought her to the civilian hospital on the outskirts of the little mountain village. White Willows, they called it. If they had known who she was, chances are she'd be some place more exclusive and surrounded by a hive of press.

A doctor stood over her now. An older man with short dense hair with a few peppery strands lost amongst the salt. "You're lucky to be alive, Ms. Doe. Second degree burns, four broken ribs, a fractured leg, punctured lung, and a broken wrist. Anyone else would have been dead ages ago. A fighter, are we?"

She made an attempt to speak, though all that escaped her was a burning sensation in her throat and a dry rasp from her lips. "Now, now, Ms. Doe. Best not to speak just yet." She gave him an irritated look, only to receive a rather stupid, condescending smile in return.

It was so typical of Rose Benjamin to do this. She cursed herself for not expecting it, though assumed her armoured car and the three Gilboan soldiers she had brought with her as an escort would be more than adequate for whatever thugs that the Queen would have sent their way. But no, the Queen sent three military-issue jeeps, half a dozen marines, and a rocket launcher designed to take out tanks, let alone armoured cars.

The ring she had acquired in Austeria for her marriage to Jack Benjamin was still on her finger. A huge rock of a diamond upon a platinum band. Its beauty was somehow reassuring to her. She was as hard as that diamond. She had to be to survive this. Of course, the ring itself had come off the Gilboan Royal family's line of credit. The doctor saw her looking at it. "Poor girl. Your husband is probably worried sick, whoever he is. Obviously someone well off, eh?"

A TV mounted in the center of the room was spewing news about the new peace between Gilboa and Gath. She couldn't make out the words through the bandages around her head, save for muffled sounds, but Katrina Ghent could make out the images of the Benjamin Palace surrounded by Gath tanks. There were momentarily changes in the scene, quickly changing to images of King Silas and Queen Rose, both standing on a podium, though she found it odd that Michelle and Jack Benjamin weren't there with them. Had so much changed in her absence?

She glared at the old man again and raised the arm that didn't hurt as much as the other, wiggling her fingers in writing motions. He stared at her for a moment, seemingly unsure of what she meant for a moment before grinning broadly. "Oh, I see. Yes, here you go." He passed her a pad of paper and a pen.

_Must. Speak. Need. Phone. Emergency. _

"My dear, you almost lost a lung. Be glad you can breathe at all. You have nothing. No ID, no life. Give it time," he took the pad away from her before she could write anything else, smiled stupidly at her again, and then swished the curtain behind himself as he left.

***

: **Gilboa, Shiloh** - Benjamin Palace :

Rose Benjamin stood by the window overlooking the gates to the Royal Palace of Shiloh. She watched in silent solitude as the black car drove through the gates and disappeared down the concrete streets. She watched as her only daughter, Michelle Benjamin, disappeared from her sight for a single year. Or perhaps more. Who could say?

Naturally, Queen Rose would keep tabs on Michelle during her absence from court. She would expect nothing less. Though the conditions of her daughter's exile would be a year of solitude, it made her heart churn with grief, but her face would not betray anything. It was the right thing to do. Michelle would be fine as long as her people did their jobs and Michelle didn't try anything stupid.

A light rap on the door came with the presence of Thomasina, the family's head of security. It was in this woman that Queen Rose invested a great deal of trust. She had served the family for years and she hoped that Thomasina would serve many more, though the events of late had visibly shook Thomasina's conscience. She could see it in her eyes. Breaking her gaze away from the window, she acknowledged the new presence with a faint, sad smile. "Michelle is gone. For a year. If anything has made this year more difficult, it's this."

Thomasina's own eyes harboured a silent sadness as she quietly closed the door behind her. "For the good of the Kingdom, I'm sure."

Approaching a near-by cabinet, Rose retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses. "These times are hard, but they are no doubt times that will usher Gilboa into a new century of peace. These challenges have only made us stronger. Fuelled our resolve. The alliance with Gath has been sealed with the blood of those who would seek to bring this kingdom to its knees," she poured the deep red liquid into both glasses, handing one to Thomasina.

Thomasina had never shared wine with the Queen before. Her task was to ensure the safety of the royal family as opposed to indulging in their pleasures. Nevertheless, she took the wine anyway, hesitantly raising the crystal glass to her lips. It was smooth, the earthy tones reminded her of autumn. "I did what you asked with Jack. He's been placed under house arrest until a trial is set. With his wife."

Lucinda Wolfsen. A spring daisy trying to be part of the rose bush. She was young, stupid, and agonizingly clingy. Jack could not have chosen a more convincing actress to play the role of his loyal wife, though in the end it was a choice that would develop into a thorn in his side. She had grown infatuated with him and felt only misery for her husband. Jack could hardly stand the sight of her, and now they were locked in a chamber of a distant mansion together for the foreseeable future. Rose steeled her face and hid any incriminating evidence that the news affected her. A sore disappointment her son had turned out to be. He had earned this punishment.

"Good. Keep them that way," she sipped deeply. It was a good vintage. One she had been saving for several seasons. She had two more bottles of it hidden away.

"What about Andrew Cross?"

Her nephew. Once exiled for his birth that came without the King's permission. "We will keep him in court for now. I want an eye kept upon him anyway. To ensure he is not a weed planted by a frenzied farmer before the frost. We do not know what William's plans were – if they involved this child. We'll wait this one out."

Thomasina set the wine down on a side table. She had only finished half the glass. "Of course," she inclined her head politely and stepped back towards the door before Rose finally turned to face her again.

"How is the King?"

"King Silas is still in his chambers. Preparing a statement for Gilboa."

"You may go then. Get some rest. You look terrible."

Her bodyguard took her leave, the lacquered wooden door closing quietly behind her. Queen Rose turned back to the window, gazing out across Gilboa. Staring out toward the tanks of Gath scattered along the streets. Her eyes finally rested on a flag of the Gilboan butterfly, flapping wildly in the afternoon breeze atop a building down the block.

Stepping out of the sitting room, Rose Benjamin made her way through the palace. Her black heels made a soft sound against the golden marble beneath her feet. She headed to her own study. To do what she had always done.

With the return of Silas, Gilboa would flourish again. She would see to it herself.

***

: **Gilboa** – Western Coast of Gideon, Benjamin Villa :

"I was so scared, Jack! So scared that Silas was going to kill you. Thank God. Your mother must have done something," she clung to him as if he were her life raft in the middle of an ocean. He couldn't find the strength to push her away, though he didn't make any effort to embrace her either. Instead he just stared out the window into the ocean. His eyes were like the ocean itself. Pools of emptiness. Wet. Lost.

Jack Benjamin had been here for two days, though he could no longer gather himself to fight it. The coup was over. Silas had won. He had crossed his Father's line for the last time. The first time had been his sexuality, the second when he defended David Shepherd's charge of treason, and the coup had been the last. He didn't know how long he was going to be here. There were whispers of a trial, but otherwise he was blind and deaf to whatever was happening in Shiloh.

"Say something. You haven't talked since I got here. Barely eaten. Talk to me. Please," Lucinda Wolfsen raised a hand to his cheek, though he swatted away her touch as if she were an undesired insect.

"Get away from me. Just stand over there and be quiet," he broke away from her, his eyes watering up again with tears he couldn't shed for the sake of his pride. He wouldn't break down in front of her. Anyone else maybe, but not her.

Her expression was that of an abandoned puppy. The majority of her make-up had flushed away the day she was brought to him. Her tears smeared mascara down her eyes and her lipstick was splotchy. She looked like a whore until he finally forced her to wash it off, though her eyeliner still clung to her eyes and made her look awkward. Neither of them had changed their clothes. The wardrobes were both empty. Her red dress was creased with wrinkles while his own suit was in no better state.

Thomasina's words echoed through his head. "Her part she'll be glad to play. Your father wants for you a living death. To break you into a wall with someone who loves you. Who you can't stand the sight of until you produce an heir which Silas will take and raise right this time."

"Why won't you speak to me?" Lucinda had crumpled on to the bed, hands weak across her lap. "I thought you loved me. When you asked me to marry you, it was a dream come true. Me? A young girl, marrying the Prince of Gilboa. To be a Lady of Shiloh and then your Queen."

"I told you to be quiet," he snapped at her. God, she was annoying.

"I won't! I want to know what's wrong. You can tell me. Please!" She had risen to her feet again, though this time she was smart enough not to try and take his hand again.

He turned towards her with a look of hatred, his eyes like a pair of icy daggers. "Fine. You really want to know what's going on? You're a nobody. I don't even know you. I never wanted to know you. You were just supposed to be the pretty woman that all the little girls in Shiloh would aspire to be most like when you were Queen. Do you think I'd care? No. I wouldn't. You were a scapegoat to keep my mother off my case. So sit your ass back on that bed and stay the fuck away from me."

Lucinda Wolfsen said nothing. Her hands fell limply to her sides and she crumpled back on to the side of the bed. Her voice was weak and tired. "I knew there was something wrong about all this."

"Took you long enough," he turned back towards the window and pushed his arm against the wall, resting his forehead against a forearm. "Whatever. My mother will eventually come for us. Or my father."

"The woman said this was to be your living death until you produced an heir. Is someone really coming for you if the King wants you to be alone with me?"

Even though he hoped so, Jack Benjamin knew it wouldn't work that way, but he kept making excuses to hide himself from the truth of it. He could say nothing else.

For the second time, Lucinda Wolfsen rose to her feet. She began to rub out the creases in her dress before taking a place beside him. A glance revealed a tear tracing down her cheek. "If you won't love me, Jack, I can't do anything to change that, but I will always love you. And I want to make you happy as best I can. I want to get you out of this place."

"The only way that's going to happen is if you're pregnant, which is something that's definitely not going to happen." He had to smirk at her. It was a trademark he had developed for himself over the last few years. The smile of a playboy who'd take you, use you, and then throw you away.

She didn't seem to have an answer for that, but she looked out the window with him anyway. "We'll think of something."

The awkward silence was broken by a guard. This one was new. It was a refreshing change from the old Sergeant that had served them yesterday. This one was young, with emerald eyes and shortly spiked blonde hair. He began to feel the flower of lust blooming deep inside his chest, but remembering Lucinda's presence made that flower wither quickly. The soldier brought them a meagre meal: trays with a bit of meat, green peas, bread, and water. Enough to keep them alive, but not spoil them in any kind of luxury. He lingered a moment at the door, turning to face them on his way out. "The King says you will be given something heartier when news of a heir reaches his ears."

Jack merely smirked at him. Forced patience. Now get out, you beautiful thing. The soldier did so, the door behind him locking.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks again to everyone who read through the first Chapter and have had the patience to move on to Chapter 2.

I had a question in one of the reviews for Chapter one that ask whether this is going to be a Jack/David fic or a Michelle/David fic. To be entirely honest with you, I'm not 100% sure just yet. I really like the idea of pairing Jack and David together, but in terms of the story I have in mind I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to fit it in just yet. I'll probably end up pairing them together, but not before there's some heart-wrenching moment between the three of them. Who knows?!

Someone also sent me a message saying that I do a really good Rose. I'm flattered. Honestly. :P

Once again -- it's hugely encouraging to get reviews on these stories. Even if it's just a few words.

And for my disclaimer, I don't own Kings or any of its characters. This is purely fanfiction.

*****

: **Shiloh, Gilboa – **The Parliament Hall **:  
**

The weather had forecasted a crisp autumn day. A light frost had formed over the entire city, slowly melting away from the morning sunrise as it casted Gilboa in a cold orange blanket of light. The ambiance of the Parliament Hall was not so different.

King Silas had finally made his second appearance to them after his return to Gilboa with the Gath military and David Shepherd. Reclaiming his throne from the coup of William Cross and Jack Benjamin, Silas had appeared only briefly before the chamber to demand their whereabouts. Afterwards, when the coup had been suppressed, Silas had vanished once again from the eyes of everyone except his Queen. He had even neglected his mistress Helen, instead the recluse of his study.

But this was the day of his return. King Silas looked as though he had never left. He wore a freshly pressed black suit, the Gilboan butterfly brooch present upon his breast. His long black hair was freshly washed and his eyes carefully scanned the faces of his ministers and the crowd that sat behind them. Taking his seat at the desk, he quickly shuffled through the small stack of papers set before him by his scribe. The air of uncertainty was palpable. His ministers, minus one Katrina Ghent, glanced awkwardly from one to the other, as if they were steadying themselves to deal with a force they had absolutely no control over. Perhaps they were right.

Silas took his time before he spoke aloud. _God has told me that I am no longer fit to rule my country. That instead a lowly soldier is set to rule in my place._ The words echoed through his thoughts, but he made sure to keep his expression unchanged. _Perhaps He has turned his back on me. Or perhaps He would seek to test me once again. David Shepherd has fled from Gilboa. There can be no one else to rule but me._

He glanced at the chair directly to his right on his own side of the table. The chair of his advisor, formerly David Shepherd. _I will have to get rid of that now. There is no one else to help me rule. No one else._

It was time. Pushing himself from the chair, Silas cleared his throat and prepared his oratory.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I know that my absence amongst these great halls of words and wisdom has been troubling for all of you. I have been at work amongst my chambers. I have spoken to Him," he pointed to the ceiling above their heads. A few even followed the direction of his finger. "This kingdom has been gravely wounded by its own blood. My own brother and son sought to usurp my throne most unjustly. They would have had me dead had they been given the chance, though God revealed to me that this kingdom still needed its King," he extended his arms out to his sides. "And here I am once more."

There was a moment's silence until Queen Rose lifted herself from the seated crowd across the room, bringing her hands together in applause. After a few moments, others joined her. It lifted his own heart to see the support of people, though all too soon it soured. _They follow their Queen. They do not applaud me. They cower in fear of their King. They seek to win my favour with their flattery._

The hustle died down when he waved his hand at them to silence them. "What news, my ministers? Wait no, there is like to be too much news," he grinned broadly at them, though again the awkward glance echoed across them with his jape. "Your King has returned to his rightful place. Let us set Gilboa right again with this new era of peace."

There was the usual mish-mash of political mumbo jumbo. He dealt with it as he had always had. Port Prosperity now lay in the hands of his newfound allies in Gath. The people still bristled at the cost of peace, but in time he knew they would all prosper from the alliance. He glanced up at them and gave them each a faint smile. "Has there been any news of Captain Shepherd? My advisor. I have not seen him since my return."

He noticed Thomasina amongst the crowd. Her eyes were sympathetic. Shepherd was well liked amongst the people. It would be hard to pave over his existence, though perhaps in time he would be forgotten.

The Minister of Internal Affairs shook his head. A young man with no nonsense eyes and a sharp tongue. "No one has seen the Captain since your return, Your Grace. We are keeping an eye out him through our surveillance networks, but as of yet there has been nothing."

Another broad smile and Silas spoke, "Perhaps an Angel, sent down from the Heavens to guide me to peace. Now returned to God's own bosom."

His charisma washed away the uncertainty of the public crowds, headed by his own Queen, but his ministers still stared at him as if his presence was still unnatural. He called an end to the meeting and walked with his Queen and Thomasina down the golden marble corridor.

"I want him found. And shot dead on sight."|

***

**: New Hope, The Republic of Gath :  
**

The cold was a torture all its own. A maddening sensation that no amount of struggle could free him from. The town of New Hope lay between Gath proper and Gilboa. Forever it had been a no-man's land, though the newfound peace between the two nations had granted the little town to the Republic. David Shepherd kept going.

The outskirts of the town were mostly empty fields and the borders of a dead forest. What little growth left unattended across the farmer's fields was now coated in hoarfrost. The roads and streets were all but empty, save for the occasional walker here or there. He steered clear of the Gath marines that roamed that patrolled the busier intersections. He found his way to a tiny hotel owned by a little old couple that cared only for the cash he brought with him. Kicking the door closed behind him, he let his backpack and jacket fall to the floor. With half-frozen hands, he struggled with each and every button of his shirt. His jeans and underwear came off easy, piling with the rest.

It took a few minutes for the water of the shower to heat itself, but the warmth across his body was a blessing. For a time that seemed like forever, he let his head rest against the faded yellow tile as the water fell down his back. He glanced down at Michelle's ring and closed his eyes tight, once again battling with the sensation of not knowing when he'd see her again.

_I gave everything for Gilboa. Silas threw it all back into my face. Twice._

He sat down in the tub, arms rested across his naked knees. _A lot of regrets._

Maybe if he had told Silas about Michelle back then in the countryside, it would have been different. A perfect opportunity to share with Silas what was going on with little to no fear of repercussions. It was too late for that now though.

He had been a thorn in the side of the House of Benjamin from the very beginning. And it only got worse.

Jack had stepped in for him at the trial. Even now, David wasn't sure why. He only remembered the bloom of butterflies that crept up his chest when he spoke out against Jack's father.

_Because it was the right thing to do._

He thought about Jack for a long time after that. The night they had spent together in the bar and the hotel. Drinking and boozing. The way Jack looked at him from across the nightclub. Women were crawling all over him, yet Jack had not once taken his eyes off him. David has not been so strong. The women were beautiful. Temptingly so. He had tried to keep Michelle in his mind as long as he could, but eventually the alcohol had worn away at those boundaries. In a way, David felt regret for being unable to save Jack just as Jack had saved him. It might not be too late to do so, but not while Gilboa was still so hot after his own ass.

The hot water was gradually beginning to cool and the last thing that he wanted now was to be cold. He turned off the tap and wrapped a towel around himself. Michelle's silver ring glimmered faintly at him with the wet sheen of water, but even so his mind was still stuck on his regrets.

The blankets were old and smelled like cheap laundry detergent. Despite the itchy linen against his naked body, he felt warm. He imagined Michelle there beside him, wrapped within in his arms, but then reality tore his dreams apart as it always did. Michelle was in Gilboa and he might not ever see him again. Fleeting images of her flowed across his vision. Her smile and her long cascades of deep chestnut brown hair. The deep pools of her eyes.

How long would it be until he started to forget the way she looked?

***

**: Gideon, Gilboa – **Benjamin Villa :

It was a huge risk for the both of them. It had taken some time to swallow the guilt he had cast upon Lucinda, but once he had, he couldn't have cared less.

It was meaningless sex. Jack had been no stranger to it on his escapades across Gilboa's night scene. He hadn't had anything meaningful since Joseph, but he was dead now. It was a wound that still hurt, but the pleasure of the moment seemed to drown that all away between the thrusts. A few nights passed before the blonde soldier came back to them again, but this time he stayed.

"I've never been pounded by a Prince before."

The humour would have normally been a turn-off, but the sex was something he needed now. When they had finished, Jack told him to go. The rush had come and gone. He was back to his misery. The marine looked confused, but Jack's tone was low and dangerous, so he did as he was told. Adjusting his only shirt, he made his way back to the main bedroom, where Lucinda sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands.

"Any luck and he'll tell the King that we've fucked and you'll find yourself off to some comfortable home by the seaside."

"That is until they give me a pregnancy test and it shows that I'm not, in fact, pregnant." Her voice was empty and full of apathy. He bit his lip and rolled his eyes.

***

**: White Willows, Austeria - **White Willows Mountainside Clinic **:**

_I'm not staying here another minute. _

The stupid doctor had committed her to two weeks of solid bed rest, but only four days had passed. It took every ounce of strength she had to push herself from the bed and rip out the IV. It took every ounce of willpower she had and then some to put one foot in front of the other through the firestorm of pain that was washing across her body. The gown they had given her was cold and drafty, but she had an itching recollection that her cream colored cashmere business suit was not exactly fit to wear. If she could get to a phone, she'd have a chance. Rose Benjamin had probably seen to it that her political leverage was gone, but the Gilboan government was cheap and easy to sway with a promise here and a little money there. If she could get out of Austeria and back into her home turf, she could find Jack and pick up where they left off. She'd be Queen yet. Rose Benjamin's expression upon her return would be priceless.

She snatched a pink cell phone from a nurse's station and locked herself in a handicap bathroom. Crumpling on to the baby changer platform was a gift to her aching muscles.

"Erickson here."

Tom Erickson was an aide of hers in the Ministry of Information. Resourceful, clever, and ambitious. Pretty cute, too.

She had forgotten the state of her voice when she tried to shout an insult at the stupid Austerian doctor earlier that day. He had been going on about his daughter as she was trying to sleep. She thanked a higher power when the words came out coherently, though the fire through her throat still hurt. "Erickson. It's Katrina."

"Ghent? Where the hell are you? We thought you were dead." His words were cool and casual, as if nothing she had said phased him. She could hear the sound of cars rushing in the background of the call.

"Not quite. Listen, I am in Austeria. Some off the beaten trail medical clinic. White Willows or something. I need someone to get me. The Queen can't know of it. She tried to have me killed."

"I'm not an Aide anymore, Katrina. Queen Rose had the entire Information Division reformed. I'm just a Page now."

She tightened her grip on the phone and cursed her luck. "What am I going to do then? You were my best man. I can't count on anyone else as much as I did you."

"I'll come get you myself. If I hurry, I could be there in about eight or nine hours."

There was a sharp rap on the door to the stall. "Ms. Doe. Are you hiding in there? Nurse Jane, get the spare key."

_Go away, you stupid man_.

She clutched the phone again. "Hurry, Tom. Tell Jack!"


End file.
